CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of Study
Air pollution is a global public health crisis and an alarming environmental concern, causing an
estimated 2 million deaths due to indoor pollution and 1.3 million deaths from outdoor pollution
worldwide, with the most severe impacts observed in developing nations [1]. The surge in air
pollution levels can be attributed to human activities, particularly the rapid urbanization,
industrialization, and overpopulation trends [2]. These activities have dire consequences,
resulting in the depletion of forest reserves, which serve as critical carbon sinks, and widespread
environmental degradation, encompassing soil, plant, and air contamination [3]. Assessing air
quality holds a pivotal role in identifying areas with deteriorating air quality and in monitoring
pollution trends over time. While traditional methods such as stationary monitoring stations and
satellite imagery remain common practices, recent research has shown the efficacy of using
plants and handheld air quality devices for such assessments [8] [9] [10]. Particulate matter (PM)
is primary air pollutants carrying a wide array of elements with various degrees of toxicity and
negative health effects [1, 2]. The increasing presence of particulate matter in atmosphere alters
the original state of the atmosphere making it harmful to man, animals and other life-forms.
Particulate Matters in the atmosphere influence the human health not only because of the particle
size distribution, but the ability of these fine particles to absorb carcinogenic and toxic
components of the air [3, 4]. Most substances that have been identified in the atmospheric air
samples like metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs) and numerous other chemical materials, the process that generates it and other
atmospheric process breaks it down to tiny particles of sizes less than 2.5 µm, 10 µm which are
inhalable with potentiality to cause sickness, alter body systems and it’s functionalities with
possible deaths [1, 5, 6, 7]. Studies have shown that particulates matters PM2.5 and PM10 are
composed of metals, PAHs, PCBs and other toxic chemical components [8, 9, 10]. The
atmospheric enrichment of PM2.5 and PM10 are from complete and incomplete combustion of
organic, inorganic and synthetic materials (coal, petrol, diesel, wood and biomass) [5, 6, 7, 8, 9,
10]. The increased particulate matters concentration in the atmosphere with its toxic constituents
are the major causes of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, affecting other organs and
systems in human body which eventually leads to early death [8, 9]. This continual addition of
atmospheric particulate matters is the result of industrial development, increase in traffic, human
population and natural processes of particulate matter emissions [6, 7, 8, 9, 10]. Particulate
Matter in the air has been identified particularly as the main cancer-causing component [11].
Respiratory systems have severe impact due to particulate matter exposure [12], since it is
primary route into the body. The risk of exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 is to people of all ages
especially children, elderly person and others with illness like asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis,
emphysema [13]. There are variations in concentration of PM2.5 and PM10 during the dry and
wet season, this may be due to dry and wet atmospheric depositions. Meteorological factors of
changes in daily temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed can influence the concentration
of PM2.5 and PM10 [14]. Studies have shown that prevalence of PM2.5 and PM10 in the
atmosphere is as a result of numerous anthropogenic activities [8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17]. The study is
to determine the atmospheric concentrations of particulate matters, PM2.5 and PM10 during the
dry and wet seasons as a measure of atmospheric pollution in the area.
Plants have proven their worth as bioindicators, showcasing sensitivity to a wide array of
pollutants and offering continuous, long-term records of air pollution dynamics, which is
invaluable for tracking changes in air quality, especially in regions where conventional
monitoring infrastructure is lacking or not available [11].
Nonetheless, interpreting physiological changes in plants can be intricate and may not always
straightforwardly correlate with alterations in air quality [12]. Moreover, certain pollutants, such
as particulate matter (PM), which directly impact human health, may not be effectively measured
using plant bioindicators [13]. Similarly, handheld air quality devices have gained prominence as
portable tools for air quality assessment [14]. These compact devices can measure a range of
pollutants, including PM, O3, NOx, and SOx across various settings, providing real-time data
that is invaluable for pinpointing areas with elevated pollution levels. Nonetheless, it is essential
to recognize that the accuracy of these devices can vary widely, potentially compromising data
reliability [15].
